Now, let's go back to blogs. Chances are you have a few you like to read, and now, you might be interested in checking out what your co-workers are writing about! But how can you manage all those blogs??
A reader, also known as an aggregator, is a tool that allows you to interact with blogs and other Internet sites. Instead of visiting each site individually, you create subscriptions for the sites you follow and then visit the reader to view new content. We’ll be using Google Reader for our experimentation. To get started, let’s first view this video from Common Craft. An insignificant portion of the video is cut off, but if you doubleclick it, you can view the full video.
You don’t need a new user name and password to open a Google Reader account—-you can use your Blogger account credentials. You can use your Google Reader account on any computer or mobile device with Internet access. Let’s start by opening http://www.google.com/reader
Enter the email address you use with Blogger and your password, and then click Sign in. The layout of Reader is similar to the program you use to read email: folders on the left and an item list in the middle.
The Getting Started guide (http://www.google.com/help/reader/help.html) is a great overview of Reader’s features. You’ll be ready to start adding subscriptions after you’ve read it.
You can start by adding our 23 Things blog to the reader.
1. Copy the address (highlight it with your mouse, right click and select Copy).
2. Click on the + Add a subscription button in the upper left corner of your screen.
3. Right click on the box that opens and select Paste.
4. Click the Add button.
Now, you’ll need some organization to keep up with your feeds. You should see the Lamar 23 Things Blog in the middle pane of your window. Click on the Feed Settings button, and then the New Folder link.
Name this folder 23 Things. You can add your peers taking 23 Things with you by copying and pasting their blog address and adding it as a new subscription in this folder. Cool, huh? Now you can see what they are saying about the same experience!
One more cool trick- let's make a link on your igoogle page to Google Reader. Remember? Go to the link that says Add Stuff on your igoogle homepage. Go to the search box and type in Google Reader. Then, whenever you visit igoogle, all your favorite blogs are just one click away!
You’re ready to go exploring on your own! You’ve created your Reader account, and added a subscription. What else is out there that would help you in your class or interests you personally? Try Google Blog Search: This is a keyword search. Just type in your search term(s) – all your results will be from blogs and not other sites. Notice that your search results indicate how long ago the blog posting was made.
Time to write about your experiences. Find anything in your searching that you'd recommend to others? Tell us about it! We'll be reading your blog soon!
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thing 2- Create Your Blog
This Thing is really important— you will be using your blog throughout the 23 Things experience to write about your journey through Web 2.0. Are you ready to create your own blog?
**A note about privacy and responsibility**
Your blog is public, so anyone could be reading it. For this reason, you should use caution when you post on your blog. Don't post anything you wouldn't want revealed to the world. In fact, this same caution applies as we explore other Web 2.0 tools. In fact, you may also want to avoid using your real name or school affiliation on the blog.
1. Set up blog
To set up your blog, first choose a blog hosting service. There are many you can pick from, but I suggest Blogger, which is owned by Google. Other possibilities include Wordpress and Typepad. The instructions that follow will help you if you choose Blogger:
Go to http://www.blogger.com/, and click on the button that says “Create a blog.”
The next page will ask if you already have a Google account. If you don’t have one, create one.
2. Name your blog!
It’s time to choose a name for your blog. What reflects your ideas about what you'll be learning or doing all summer? Your goals? You may want the name to indicate who you are as well, so that your fellow teachers/students can identify you and read your blog!
Once you name your blog, choose a URL. Be sure to click on “Check Availability” in case someone already has already used the URL. If so, then choose a different URL. When you’re all done with this page, click “Continue.”
3. Pick a template!
A template is the color and style of your blog on the screen. Scroll through the options and note that most have varying color schemes as well. Choose your favorite one and click “Continue.”
Congratulations- you’ve now created your blog!
4. Write a post!
Click on “Start Blogging.” You will see a screen where you can type your first blog post. Don't forget to give this post a title. In your first post, write about Things One and Two. You might want to talk about a few of the questions I've posed as you write about your experiences in Thing One.
*Who coined the phrase Web 2.0?
*When did it begin to morph from the Web into Web 2.0?
*What makes it different?
*What changes have we seen in the past 5 years that are changing Web 2.0?
*What Web 2.0 sites are specifically mentioned?
*Which ones have you used before?
When you’re finished writing your first post, click on “Publish.”
Now, you can see what your blog looks like to visitors by clicking on “View Blog.” You will see the page as it appears to other readers.
5. Register your blog with me!
Send the following information in an email to me:
1) Your name
2) Subject you teach
3) Your blog URL
Congratulations! You've completed Thing 2!
**A note about privacy and responsibility**
Your blog is public, so anyone could be reading it. For this reason, you should use caution when you post on your blog. Don't post anything you wouldn't want revealed to the world. In fact, this same caution applies as we explore other Web 2.0 tools. In fact, you may also want to avoid using your real name or school affiliation on the blog.
1. Set up blog
To set up your blog, first choose a blog hosting service. There are many you can pick from, but I suggest Blogger, which is owned by Google. Other possibilities include Wordpress and Typepad. The instructions that follow will help you if you choose Blogger:
Go to http://www.blogger.com/, and click on the button that says “Create a blog.”
The next page will ask if you already have a Google account. If you don’t have one, create one.
2. Name your blog!
It’s time to choose a name for your blog. What reflects your ideas about what you'll be learning or doing all summer? Your goals? You may want the name to indicate who you are as well, so that your fellow teachers/students can identify you and read your blog!
Once you name your blog, choose a URL. Be sure to click on “Check Availability” in case someone already has already used the URL. If so, then choose a different URL. When you’re all done with this page, click “Continue.”
3. Pick a template!
A template is the color and style of your blog on the screen. Scroll through the options and note that most have varying color schemes as well. Choose your favorite one and click “Continue.”
Congratulations- you’ve now created your blog!
4. Write a post!
Click on “Start Blogging.” You will see a screen where you can type your first blog post. Don't forget to give this post a title. In your first post, write about Things One and Two. You might want to talk about a few of the questions I've posed as you write about your experiences in Thing One.
*Who coined the phrase Web 2.0?
*When did it begin to morph from the Web into Web 2.0?
*What makes it different?
*What changes have we seen in the past 5 years that are changing Web 2.0?
*What Web 2.0 sites are specifically mentioned?
*Which ones have you used before?
When you’re finished writing your first post, click on “Publish.”
Now, you can see what your blog looks like to visitors by clicking on “View Blog.” You will see the page as it appears to other readers.
5. Register your blog with me!
Send the following information in an email to me:
1) Your name
2) Subject you teach
3) Your blog URL
Congratulations! You've completed Thing 2!
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